Justin Timberlake unveils "Suit & Tie" with Jay-Z

Justin Timberlake's buzz-inducing countdown concluded early Monday (1/13) with the drop of a new single, "Suit & Tie," featuring Jay-Z, as well as news of an impending album.

Timberlake posted an "open letter" at his website, explaining his new project and unveiling his first new material since 2006.

"Back in June of last year, I quietly started working on what is now, my next journey with that thing I love called MUSIC," Timberlake said. "The inspiration for this really came out of the blue and to be honest, I didn't expect anything out of it. I just went into the studio and started playing around with some sounds and songs. What I came up with is something I couldn't be more excited about! It is full of inspiration that I grew up listening to and some newfound muses that I've discovered along the way."

"Suit & Tie," which is credited to Timberlake, Timbaland, Shawn Carter, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon and James Flauntleroy, is the first single from the impending 2013 release, "The 20/20 Experience." The superstar will drop the RCA Records collection sometime this year.

Timberlake's most recent solo effort, "FutureSex/LoveSounds," surfaced in 2006. The Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum album followed his 2002 solo debut, "Justified," which won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.